Compensating balance spring for chronometers and watches



' 1,106,207, dated August Patented May 8, 1923.

U I j 1,454,473" UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE."

CHARLES EDOUARD GUILLAUME, OF SEVRES, FRANCE, ASSIGNOR '10 SOCIETE DESFABRIQ'QES DE SPIRAUX REUNIES, OF PETIT-SACONNEX, SWITZERLAND.

COMPENSATING BALANGE SPRING FOR CHRONOMETERS AND WATCHES.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern 5 Be it known that I, CHAnLns EDoUAnDGUILLAUME, a citizen of the Swiss Republic, and resident of Sevres,Seine-et-Oise, France, have invented new and useful Improvements inCompensating Balance Springs for Chronometers and Watches, of whichthefollowing is a full, clear, and exact specification.

In the specification of my United States Letters Patent No. 1,106,206and No.

4, 1914, I have described a compensating balance or hairspringwhich,.when associated with a continuous or unsplit balance, give towatches fitted therewith a partialcompensation for variations oftemperature to the extent that,

in the case of successful castings or tappings, such watches possess thesame rate of move ment at two temperatures, for example 0 and 30, but atintermediate temperatures gain to a degree which may attain from 20 to25 seconds perday. Furthermore, in the specification of my United StatesLetters Patent v No. 1,313,291, dated August 19, 1919, it is shewn thatit is possible, by using an alloy sensibly different from that describedin the earlier specification, to obtain balance springs which ensurethat watches fitted therewith shall have the same rate ofmovement notonly at two temperatures, but at all temperatures comprised withinconsiderable limits, thereby eliminating the so-called secondary errorinherent in chronometers.

The alloys which enable these two results to be obtained belongto thesame category of products of which the base consists of iron and nickeladmixed, in the first case, with foreign bodies (manganese, chromium,tungisten, vanadium, carbon, etci), indispensable both for theirmetallurgical treatment and for obtaining an elastic limit sufficient toensure that balance springs made therefrom shall remain, during use,within the limits of their elastic deformation. In the second case thebasic metals are admixed with heavy proportions 10 to 20%) of at leastone metal capable of a loying in all proportions with the ferro-nickels.

Now it has been found, that it is possible to adapt the compensatingcapacity of balance hair springs to the range of temperaturesprincipally available in practice, and to reduce sufiiciently thesecondary error of watches andchronon'ieters, within the said range oftemperatures, when the addition of Application filed December 22, 1920.Serial No. 432,608.

chromium to the alloys of iron and nickel employed to the manufacture ofhair springs (balance springs) and containing 27 to 415% nickel isreduced to 4 to 8%. The said alloys contain advantageously smalladditions of substances capable of raising their limits of elasticity,as for instance, tungsten, carbon,

manganese, silicium and vanadium.

For example the alloy of a balance spring may have the followingcomposition:

Pa ts. Iron 45 to 65, Nickel 30 to 38 Chromium 4 to 8 Tungsten 1 to 3Carbon 0.5 to 1 Manganese and silicon together 0.5 to 2 Parts. Nickel i33 to 35 Iron 53 to 61 Chromium 4to 5 Tungsten 1 to 3 Carbon 0.5 to 1Manganese and silicon 0.5 to 2 What I claim is 1. A compensating balancespring for chronometers and watches which has a compensating capacityadapted to the range of temperatures principally available in practiceand reduces sufiiciently the secondary error within the said range oftemperatures, when employed with a co-ntinous balance, and is composedof an alloy of iron and nickel (the latter in the proportion of from 25to 415 per cent) containing from 4 to 8 per cent of chromium.

2. A compensating balance spring for chronometers and watches which hasa compensating capacity adapted to the range of temperatures principallyavailable in practice and reduces sufficiently the secondary error,within the said range of temperatures, when employed with a J continuousbalance, and is composedof an alloy of iron and nickel (the latter inthe proportion of from 2510 45' per cent} containingfrom 4 to. 8 percent of chromium, 1 to 3 per cent of tungsten, 0.5 to 1 per cent ofcarbon and 0.5 to 2 per cent of manganese and silicon (taken together).

3. A compensating balance spring for chronometers and watches which hasa compensating capacity adapted to the range of temperatures principallyavailable in practice and reduces sufiiciently the secondary error,within'the said range of temperatures, when employed with acontinuousbalance, and is composed of an alloy of iron and nickel (the latter inthe proportion of from 25m 45 per cent) containing from 1 to 8 per centof chromium, 1 to 3 per cent of tungsten, 0.5 to 1 per-cent of carbonand 0.2 to 2 per cent of vanadium.

4. A compensating balance spring for chronometers and watches which hasa compensating capacity adapted to the range of temperatures principallyavailable in practice and reduces sufliciently the secondary errorwithin the said range of temperatures, when employed with a continuousbalance, and is composed of an alloy of iron and nickel (the latter inthe proportion of from 25 to 45 per cent) containing from 4 to 8 percent of chromium, 1 to 3 per cent of tungsten, 0.5 to 1 per cent ofcarbon and 0.5 to 3 per cent of manganese, vanadium and silicon (takentogether).

5. A compensating balance spring composed of an alloy consisting of from45 to 65 parts of iron, 30 to 38 parts of nickel, a to 8 parts ofchromium, 1 to 3 parts of tungsten, 0.5 to 1 part of carbon and 0.5 to 2parts of manganese and silicon (taken together).

6. A compensating balance spring composed of an alloy consisting of.from 45 to 65 parts of iron, .30 to 38 parts of nickel, 4 to 8 parts ofchromium, 1 to 3 parts of tungsten, 0.5 to 1 part of carbon and 0.2 to 2parts of vanadium.

7..A compensating balance spring com posed of an alloy consisting of:from 45 to 65 parts of iron, 30 to 38 parts of nickel, 1 to 8 parts ofchromium, 1 to 3 parts of tungsten, 0.5 to 1 part of carbon and 0.5 to 3parts of (manganese, vanadium and silicon (taken together).

8. A compensating balance spring composed of an alloy consisting of from33 to 35 parts of nickel, 53 to 61 parts of iron,

4;" to 5 parts of chromium, 1 to 3 parts of" tungsten, 0.5 to 1 part ofcarbon and 0.5 to 2 parts of manganese and silicon (taken together).

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name this 1st day ofDecember, 1920, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES EDOUARD GUILLAUME.

Witnesses:

JEAN BAPTISTE AMAND Rrrrnn, J OSEPII Hiirrnnnr.

